


Act I: Human

by translucyd



Series: This Side of Faunus Life [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Anti-Faunus Racism (RWBY), Anxiety, F/F, F/M, Social Anxiety, Twisted and Fluffy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-18 13:20:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21661456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/translucyd/pseuds/translucyd
Summary: Blake is a Faunus and that is a problem in the eyes of society. Being a White Fang fugitive, she laid low for a few months until she was able to begin her studies at Beacon. What kind of future awaits her? Would the bow will be enough to disguise her for both her future team and other students? Check out to discover.This story starts with her arrival at Beacon and will describe how a Faunus that fled the White Fang deal with her issues. Faunus prejudice will be much more blatant and strong to better expose these problems. Themes like depression and social anxiety will be discussed and shown, so be aware, if this bothers you. TW in the chapters will be present.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Adam Taurus, Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Coco Adel/Velvet Scarlatina, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Series: This Side of Faunus Life [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1561630
Comments: 12
Kudos: 78





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was actually a dream, so I'll try to fit the gaps as good as I can. If you can leave a review/comment about my writing and possible errors. I'll be forever grateful.
> 
>   * Every italic inside " is spoken Faunese. They should have a language of their own.
> 

> 
> Also added summary, that I forgot. And changed the arc name, which was supposed to be Human, not Faunus. Thanks!  
> 

It was a cool and wet morning, just like many others that she experienced since she put her foot at Vale. Blake was anxious. Really anxious. Far from her family and her few friends, in a very big city, without a relationship and with a lot of... humans.

She took the flying bus from the hotel, carrying her scrapped luggage; mainly books and clothes. You can never say if there will be a library or a store close by right? ... Right?

While gazing at the city, full of concrete and tall buildings, she felt a kind of deja vu. It was the first time that she was so close to the city but, even so, there was something familiar. Blake remembered several novels that happened in those streets and was kinda happy to see them, even just from above. Blake couldn't ditch the feeling she already saw them somehow. I had a good imagination. she wondered.

She returned from her daydreams feeling the anxiety that was still there. All the things that can go wrong, the ways that she could be outed, she could suffer. The girl checked her hairbow with a twitch of ears. Right, very safe. Everything will be all right.

The bus arrived smoothly in front of Beacon Academy, with a Faunus girl having a pretty annoying butterfly inside her stomach. She took her bag, touched ribbon in her hair and walked into the door, where a beautifully decorated hall that was specially decked for the occasion. Blake was a little mesmerized in how things were different here. Although she left the Fang for almost six months now, she didn't was used to feel safe. Trying to push the feelings away, she shook her head and walked onto the line made of the new students.

After signing her name in the presents list, she walked to where she as pointed to, a gym-like room where she would sleep tonight with the other newcomers. It was a tradition to have a test the next day which would decide your team. But for now, she ought to sleep in a communal room using a not-so-comfortable thin mattress. She had it tougher, so that's fine.

After reaching the hall, golden eyes quickly searched for a good reading spot. With eyes half-closed and a bit in the lip the search was successful, the Faunus found what looked to be a safe corner close to where an energetic red-clothed girl and a taller blonde were dropping their stuff. After waiting they left to the presentation hall, she left her bag and sigh in that corner.

In the main hall, the agglomeration of students and its loud excitement were hearable from afar. Lots of laughs, shouts and happy voices, in general, made the place almost sparkle. Several old students were meeting the new ones. In what concerned Blake, she just stayed at the back to attract the less attention possible. She grinned as she saw the girls from before somewhat in a fight with a white-haired high pitch talking and princess-looking girl. She jumped slightly in shock when the microphone interfered in a high pitch sound as the principal of Beacon took the lead.

"Welcome new students of Beacon." said the principal, a guy with white hair and a green suit. "I'll keep this brief. You traveled in search of knowle..." he says as Blake tried just to focus. She finally was in Beacon. Far from the good and the bad parts of her life. "... waste of energy..." reverberated as Blake thought that she was far from Adam. She had a new beginning a new life ahead of her. She would not blow this up. As the presentation of the teachers was finished, Blake quickly got back to her spot and smiled at the sight of her things. Finally, she would have time to sit safely behind some fairy tale books for the rest of the afternoon. Some Faunus have a great hearing. This is really a problem when humans don't know when to be quiet. Like in early mornings.

Blake woke up with the high pitch sound of some very excited students who woke early. She hated being a Faunus sometimes. She woke to an autumn morning, light entering shyly through some thin curtains and a very sore ear due to sleeping with her hairbow. C'mon girl, today is the day that you sleep in a comfy bed. Or so I hope.

She brushed the sleep in her eyes to find out that she had one hour until the real wake time. Blake then decided to try to have a good time alone and find a place where she could stretch her ears. And legs. The new Faunus student waded outside while listening to birds chirps and all the sounds of a calm morning. She missed so much being able to walk around without the fear to be verbally abused by Adam. He would ask her if she was looking for a 'mate'. Goddamn bastard.

Shrugging the hate and sadness off, Blake found a nice spot, guarded by windowless walls in three sides, where she could be really alone for a while. Sitting in the warm sun with the back in the middle wall, she took off her bow just to her body shiver in delight with the new freedom. Now she could hear decently.

She closes her eyes for a while, feeling the sun bathing her. Warmth and silence, two things she loves. Blake also felt her body a little heavy. Probably due to all stress of yesterday. She thought while enjoying the sunlight embrace. And there she stayed for a while. She just realized that she had slept when she started to hear footsteps coming towards her. Adrenalin rushed through her body as she froze for a second. Her brain started furiously trying to come with a solution to get out of there. Blake was almost certain that she would have to climb the plain walls when she saw a silhouette of a girl with non-human ears atop her head. She waited there trying to steady her breath and her heart while the bunny-eared girl approached her with a smile.

"Hello! I don't know you, do I? Are you a new student?" said Velvet with a caring voice that she didn't hear from a Faunus beside her family for a long time.

“No, you don't. And yes. Who are you?" Blake said dryly and breathy as she looked away from the new acquittance. "My name is Velvet. Yours?”

"Blake." said Blake as weakly as possible.

"Oh hi, Blake!" Velvet responded energetically, approaching with a smile "I didn't know that a Faunus would have entered this year. Why didn’t you told the school? Why are you’re stealthing?"

With a sigh, Blake slowly stood revealing a grumpy half-smile. "I... It’s better if you forget me. I'm not here, I'm just a normal girl and..."

"Normal gal?" the other Faunus interrupted with an arched eyebrow.

"You know what? Leave me alone." Blake exploded and start walking, just to have her arm held by the other girl.

"No, you wait. I’m sorry to be pushy." Velvet says dryly with a serious face. "I really didn't mean to push your boundaries. You don't need to hide yourself, you're safe here. I mean it " Brown met golden eyes, the latter wandered in shame.

"I just... want to people to look at me from who I am, not from what I am." Blake took control of her arm and started to remake her hairbow "I have... not a good experience with humans and my ears."

"And that is fine. Just think of this: what you're going to do when you find your team? I don't think there's any Faunus beside you this year." says the bunny-eared girl caressing the inner part of her eyeballs in stress. "What I'm saying is that even if you have problems, you’re not alone. Suppose that you get a bad team. Can you promise will get in touch? Promise that you’ll be ok, Blake?"

Blake flinched with the first question. She had thought over and over again on how to hide in bedroom situations. The bow will have to work. And I hope my teammates will be blind enough a girl using the same hairbow in fight clothes or in pajamas. Returning to reality, now golden eyes met with brown ones. "I'll try my best." Blake said not hiding the sadness in her voice.

"You'll be fine. You’re not alone.” Velvet waited until the hairbow was on its place again. She shyly looks with a somewhat puppy eyes to Blake and shoot the question. "Look, maybe we started with the wrong foot. Can I hug you so we can settle this?”

With the question, golden eyes popped open and the new Faunus turned bright red. Blake pondered for a millisecond, just to leave hastily towards the dorm.


	2. Chapter 2

;Team RWBY. That is one of the names of the new teams at Beacon Academy. People cheered and shouted as the new teams were being disclosed and Blake couldn't hold her joy. She finally will train for being a huntress and far, far away from the Fang. She has one problem though: Weiss Schnee. Damn, if fate exists, it is laughing at me now. The heiress of the mighty house Schnee, the very people who owned the company the Fang was most excited in destroy, in her team. But I'm not them. I'll not be a racist asshole. I'll give the chance to meet her and see what she is made of.

After dealing with herself, Blake approached her new teammates, her leader being overexcited about the whole thing.

"YAAAY! TEAM RWBY" Ruby shouted with the arms stretched almost hitting the white-haired girl.

"Soooo... You've got the leadership then, Miss Rose." Yang mocked her while making an ironic face. She was definitely trying to annoy the girl with angry blue eyes.

"This is outrageous! I should be the leader. Humph. " Says the Schnee while crossing her arms.

"Hello, team." Blake shyly approached them with a smile and a wave, trying to hide the giggle from Yang's joke.

"BLAKE!" Silver eyes shinned at the sight of her teammate and Ruby went running to hug Blake. The Faunus didn't even have time to realize what happened when the red hooded girl passed through her shadow clone just to crash directly into the floor.

"And THAT'S is a good semblance." Weiss says sarcastically while Blake turned bright red and started apologizing to her leader. "I-I'm sorry I... did on reflexes... I..." She stopped when she hears the piercing laugh from Ruby in the ground.

"And that's for you learn not to throw yourself on people, Sis. Don't worry Blake, she is like that all the time. Let's all go to our room, c'mon!" Yang bumps on Weiss for her attention and leaves her young sister still laughing at the ground cleaning a tear in her eyes with Blake frozen from awkwardness.

After spending a very nice afternoon fighting Grim, all that team RWBY wanted was a nice shower and some rest. The room had only one bathroom which was more than promptly taken by a fast blow of air and red roses, received by the rest of the team by a facepalm and sighs of fatigue. Blake went third so she was responsible for making the tea that they all agreed would be nice to have before sleeping.

Weiss thought that was an excellent moment to get to know her new team better, although she wasn't expecting much.

"I still don't get why you don't like coffee, Blake" Weiss said while taking a sip from the cup "It's just pure energy and happiness inside a cup." Blake made a disgusted face while Yang failed to get a return of a fist bump from Weiss. "I think its too strong." The Faunus took a sip. "My father loves it, but I think I'm with my mother in this case. She gave me this once for before bed or sleepless nights."

"And it's absolutely delightful. Take my thanks with you next time you see her, please." That tea was really something. Weiss was feeling her body much heavier after a good bath and this cup. As she was finishing it Weiss continued. "I imagine you're not fond of strong foods then?"

Before Blake could answer more than a negative nod, trying to get the attention of the other girls with a joke, Yang interrupts. "As our father would say, maybe you have a cat tongue, hum?" Yang moved her eyebrows up and down to a laughing Ruby repeatedly while Blake starts coughing from the blonde's comparison. "Blake...? Ya ok?" The brawler says puzzled.

"Yes, I..." Blake cough one more time. "Wrong pipe." The Faunus said while trying to hide her obvious reaction.

"I love cats and dogs and horses..." Weiss continues dreamily "It was really a shame when we were riding our horses and we couldn't tend them... I always loved..."

"YOU HAD HORSES?? ohmygodohmygodohmygod" Ruby interrupts the rich girl, looking at her with shining eyes. "How was it? It was fun? Did you fall? Whatcolorwerethem?"

Putting her tea down, wondering what could calm down that child, Weiss sighed tiredly. "You really could use some manners, Miss Rose." She said while looking menacingly to the red girl and copying the previous Yang mock. "Yes I did learn how to ride a horse, but I can't really say I had them. I tried to brush them sometimes but usually, Father wouldn't let me." Weiss responded with a sad smile.

"You had a pretty big house, didn't you princess?" Yang one more time was mocking the heiress.

"Don't call me princess, you brute," Weiss responded pouting. "Yes, I did. It's not as good as it seems. But if you don't mind, I would like to put myself to sleep." The heiress stood up, ignoring the sad puppet face Yang did when she had her curiosity crushed. "Shouldn't we all sleep? It's getting late." Knowing that subject would cause protests from Ruby, she gingerly changed it to take it away from her house and her family.

After some protests from the leader and some strong words from Yang, the four girls turned the light off and put themselves under blankets to finally end their day.

But not Blake. She was the first to lay down, waiting for the other girls to get in their respective beds. It worked perfectly. Then she waited until all breaths were steady and silent. Well, most of them were silent. Also worked. Then she finally get to release her hairbow from the tighter tie. It felt like heaven on earth when her ears could finally be free again, even if she was still using the piece of cloth. Maybe I'm tighten it too much.

While Blake took a deep breath and let herself drift to sleep, memories of the day came back. Memories from her encounter with the other Faunus. What was her name? Vel-something? She was safe. She was surrounded with Fauni that lived their lives openly. She was safe from...

Her heart got stabbed for a second with an immense sadness filling her. I'm safe from... him. I finally could leave that abusive man. Blake hears a snore from Yang. Then what is this feeling? Tears started running from her eyes. Blake felt like something was taken from her. As if a part of her heart was ripped off. She holds the blanket with all her strength while doing her best not to sob loudly.

Did she make the right decision? Leaving the Fang was the right choice? Wasn't her fault that Adam went crazy at the end of the day? Wasn't her fault that her parents distanced themselves?

After what felt like several hours of self-loathing and self-hate, a semi-wake Yang shifted in bed towards Blake's side, seeing her teammate open eyes. "Blake? You can't sleep?" Yang pulls herself and her blanket up, moving towards the Faunus bed. Blake only came back from her world when she saw worried eyes looking into hers. Yang sat in between her bed and Faunus', wrapped in her blanket.

"Having a hard time sleeping?"

"I... I... " The dark-haired girl wiped some tears from her eyes. "Its... complicated."

"I bet." Yang answered with a lot of concern in her voice. "I know we just met each other but, we're teammates now. Wherever it's bothering you should bother us as well." She tighten her hand that was laid in her wrapped legs. "It's ok if you can't or don't want to tell us, though."

Blake squeezed the pillow with her left hand in guilt. "Its stuff from the past... I'm not sure if I want to talk about it." Golden eyes drifted away from the purple ones trying to find an answer somewhere.

"Hey, hey! That's fine!" Yang threw her hands up. "You don't have to deal with all at once." A yawn came for Yang as she said. "Can I do something to help you out? " The blonde gave a bright smile as the idea passed through her mind.

"Yang... I..." Her mind was a mess. She could tell her about all the bad things she did and went through because of her loyalty to Adam. She could tell how their relationship was abusive and even so she was missing him. But in the end, she was able to leave him. She left her past in that train; she cut their connection as she cut the connection between the cars. She left the feelings of care and tenderness for a person that didn't exist anymore fade as the car she stood slowly stopped. As the tears left her eyes again, she realized that between the months she had from leaving the Fang and that night, no one asked her about her feelings. She didn't care as well. "You already are." She said giving back to Yang a small smile.

Yang then reached to her hand, squeezing it lightly "Wherever you went through, it's over now. And you have a whole school filled with hunter and huntresses to protect you if it's needed. And I won't let anybody touch you." She said the last words in a fake angry tone. "E-Except if you want to." Now was lilac eyes that drifted ashamed with their owner blushing.

Blake blushed as she felt the warm hand of her teammate, finding it warmer than normal humans would have. She did giggle with Yang's last words, also noting how cute Yang looked embarrassed. "Thanks, Yang. It means a lot." Blake smiles while squeezing Yang's hand softly.

With a smile, the brawler pulled herself to her bed again, turning to Blake as she laid comfortably. "Think you can sleep now?" She smiled satisfied with the nod coming from the other girl, blinking with one eye before turning herself to the other side.

Blake's heart felt lighter. Maybe she did get lucky with her teammates. With a tired deep sigh, she closed her eyes and slowly drifted into the world of dreams while breathing the faint human scent in her hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all those who red and Kudoed this fic :) It made my day <3
> 
> Also, good to remember that their first night at Beacon the beds were still aligned at the ground, so that's why Yang could see Blake. ;)
> 
> See you soon! (probably next week!)


	3. Chapter 3

Blake was the first to wake up. She stretched herself with a low moan ears twitching inside the loosely tied hairbow while she tucked her whole body into the warmth of the comfy blanket. Her brain was recovering from sleep's numbness when she remembered the events of last night. Yang saw her crying. That was... not an ideal way to start with your teammates but at least was Yang. She blushed as the image of Yang's awkward flirting played in her mind.

At least she did slept, even if her heart still felt heavy. The fact that blonde was careful with her feelings made Blake smile. She had cut ties with so many people, lost contact with other many and most importantly she cut relations with her parents that she forgot how it was to have a _friend_. She had one friend. One that she trusted with her soul and followed him accordingly. Just to have her world taken from her.

She shrugged those feelings. Now was not time to think about this and her brain had already started asking for some stimulant. Against the rest of her body's will, she decided just to go make some tea. She tighten her bow, a bit looser this time so she could at least move her ears, and put herself out of bed. Her muscles ached due yesterday's fight but, with some willpower, she was able to reach her light coat and her slippers and Blake slowly went into the kitchen to heat some water. 

As she carefully dipped her infuser onto her cup and the tea's aroma started to fill her nose, her ears twitched towards the bedroom with the sound of someone getting out of bed. Thankfully, the one to wake up was Ruby, who went quickly to the kitchen. "Tea!" The team leader had a smile in her face when she saw that Blake was already pouring some hot water for her.

"Good Morning, Ruby." Blake shyly says while laying the cup across the table. 

"Good Morning Blake. Did you slept well? Yang usually snores a lot." Ruby was not fully awake to notice her team member's face go slightly red.

"No, it was... fine." Blake's eyes averted from the younger sister so she didn't see the confused smile Ruby gave her.

They remained in silence for a while Blake just mixing her tea aimlessly as the team leader was drowsy. Ruby definitely wasn't a morning person but, since today was the first day as registered Beacon students, today she was able to wake up. Some yawns and a few sips later, what felt like Ruby's _on_ button was pressed, which made the leader enter her excited mode. "Today is our first daaaay! We'll have our first class! We will finally learn how to be huntresses! Unless you're here for another reason becausehonestlyIstilldon'tknowyouyetbutyoulooklikeagreatpersonandIllnotjugdeyoubecauseitsnoneofmybusiness." Ruby takes a deep breath to recompose herself. "We should wake everybody so we can decorate our room before classes start!!"

"Don't need to wake me." The older sister was leaning in the doorway pointing to herself with her thumb. "Morning Ruby, Blake." 

Blake's low _morning_ was muffled by the much louder greeting of Ruby and her blast of red and rose petals, just to be able to receive one of Yang's bear hugs. The Faunus did her best to keep looking at her cup of tea as the mix scent of roses and the one she felt last night started to fill the room.

"Snowflake is still sleeping, though. Should wake her up?" Yang entered the kitchen letting Ruby aside, her eyes locked in the coffee maker.

"Are you making coffee?" Ruby happily said with expectation.

"Yes but none is for you, miss I-take-too-much-sugar. " Yang said to a pouting Ruby while Blake giggled softly to the young sister's annoyance.

"Do you both really need coffee?" Blake asked amused.

"Only if I want to avoid headache. I'm trying really hard to put less caffeine in my sister's blood. You know? For the sake of my mental health." Yang laughed and Ruby showed her tongue to her sister.

At this point the coffee was half brewed and its smell was filling the room. Closing her eyes, Blake took a deep breath, filing her lungs with the scent. It smelled like those days her dad woke early to organize a protest or to help with some cargo. The memory of her parents talking while having coffee and tea in early mornings filled her.

"Enjoying that, tea girl?" Blake heard a sudden close voice from her blonde teammate. She opened her eyes wide to see Yang with a jesting grin holding a coffee cup.. 

"I... was..." Blake wondered her eyes, blushing as she was caught off guard. "I was thinking of my family." The Faunus takes a sip of her tea. "The smell of coffee is amazing, though." 

"Are you close with them?" Ruby asked ingenuously as the sisters sat in the table. 

"I was." Amber eyes wondered away from silver ones. "I didn't got in touch with them for a while now." A sad smile formed in her mouth as she remembered how the last talk with her parents ended. _YOU'RE COWARDS! YOU'RE LEAVING THE FAUNUS' ONLY HOPE TO BE RESPECTED!_ Yep. Wasn't good.

"They certainly are amazing people." Yang interrupts Blake's train of thought. 

Blake looks to Yang, amazed. "What makes you say that?"

Yang keept the silence while she finished drinking her first cup, pouring more after. "You're great. Only amazing parents can have a daughter like that." She finishes with a wink, to the despair of a now blushing Faunus. Yang giggled at Blake trying to hide her embarrassment. Yang usually liked to mess with people even flirt when possible but maybe Blake would be too much of an easy target. 

After a while in silence with Blake trying not to look at Yang, Yang drinking several cups of coffee and Ruby contemplating her empty cup, team RWBY's leader remembered that they were supposed to organize their things. "Let's put our uniforms and get our things ready! NOW!" A bored Ruby stands and move towards the room. Yang and Blake giggle from the leader excitement, both going to their bags to fetch their uniforms as well. Soon after they changed,yet-to-be partners hear a high pitch whistle intended to wake up a certain sleepy heiress.

* * *

After just a couple of minutes, almost all new students were pretty confident that Prof. Porter's class was made mostly of useless facts of his young years. He basically bragged about what he did with his weapons or without them in several different situations and with several people. Since Blake wasn't exactly wanting to hear the tale, she thought that maybe filling her mind with something else should do the trick to keep her awake.

The Faunus teared a piece of paper from her notebook, amid drawings of man with a mask with a sword in his waist and the symbol that she carried in her clothes, and started to write a message intended to Yang. She wrote _Thanks for yesterday :)_ with a black pen and slowly pushed it to the brawler siting next to her. Yang was surprised when she felt a touch trying to get her attention to the teared paper.

Yang red and looked a little puzzled to Blake, which was smiling softly. She didn't had put much thought about what happened last night. She does now was wondering why her teammate had eyes with that much sad and desperation. Focusing again into the paper, she get one of her pens writing something and pushing it back to Blake.

The black haired girl wasn't expecting a answer so she eagerly reached to take it. It was written in a dark yellow ink and it red below her own writing: _Want to talk bout it now?_ Blake felt a mix of emotions, going to shock to sadness passing through worry about what her new teammate would think. She bit her pen focusing on her desk while she decided what to write. She turned the paper over and settled with _Maybe another day? Past stuff. Doesn't matter now_ and pushed it to Yang again.

Yang groaned when she red it. It was obviously a lie but "lets give her some space", she thought. Giving a smile towards Blake, she wrote _K, count on me if things go bad ;)_ and pulled to her teammate. Blake had almost finished the reading when a loud voice shouted in front of both girls.

"Does the conversation is going well, Miss Belladona? Miss Xiao Long?" Professor Port had both hand in his waist and was puffing his moustache dissatisfied.

Both jumped from the shock and looked at each other trying to find what to say. "Please, keep the conversation, even through writing, at a minimum." He turned to the blackboard and continued to talk about his achievements of old.

* * *

Blake was in a forest. It was dark, not dark enough to blind her, but it was the kind of situation that required her senses to be sharp. She had Gambol Shroud in her hand and was slowly and silently walking through the relatively small space between the trees. She evaded the leaves and thorns dropped by gravity with swiftness, her night vision helping guide herself. Her upper ears were stretched out, listening the sound of her pray who walked slowly near a cliff by the end of the forest.

As the forest thinned sound was getting louder, she stopped for a while to steady her breath, being able to see clearly the silhouette of her target. It was a man silhouette. Very familiar. She delicately walked closer, reaching the last line of trees before the cliff, the man was pacing in the small space he had. 

She breathed. Eyes shot wide and ears pinned slightly back. It was him. His scent. Blake had finally reached the confrontation that she was expecting this last few months. He was a wanted criminal and so bounties were set to encourage huntsman to face such a danger. For her, just be able to stop him, was enough. _I must stop Adam before he hurts anyone else_.

Her train of thoughts was cut short when suddenly the figure in front of her turned around. He let out a surprised sound, moved his right hand to his face and took off the grim-like mask, Blake seeing only one eye shine in the night. 

" _Blake_?" Adam said softly, a smooth tone that made Blake flinch. " _Is that you_?"

Her surprise advantage was lost, but that didn't mean that she would give up that opportunity. She left the forest pointing her sword to Adam's chest. " _It's over Adam. Please, don't make things harder._ "

" _No Blake, hear me out!_ " He put his hand in the air, surrendering. " _I don't want to fight you, please. Look!_ " With a slow movement he dethatched his katana form its place and throwed into the ground. " _Please, let me explain._ "

" _And what you need to explain?_ " Blake's voice was shaken by Adam's sudden actions. She was also holding Gambol as hard as she ever had.

" _Look, I was wrong._ " He says putting his hands up again. "Yo _u were right, violence would not bring anything good. I... I admit I was wrong with you too. I'm... sorry._ "

Gambol started shaking as tears started to fall from its owner's face. She could not believe this. How can he come to his senses? Did... her absence was the tipping point? What had happened? " _Blake._ " He asked for attention one more time. " _You know I don't use any other weapon. I'm dead serious. I'm sorry for all that I did, look._ " He kicked his sword downward the cliff to back his words

When the noise of the falling sword stopped, Blake gave up. She let her own drop to the ground and went into his arms. She was so close that she could almost hear the fear in his heart. "Adam, I'm so... happy." Tears fell from his eyes too, she could feel it in her upper ears. She looked up to find his eyes deep with sadness. 

"I'm so sorry, Blake." His eyes closed as he moved to meet his lips with hers. Blake wrapped her arms in his neck melting into the kiss that she missed so much. He was different, his touch was tender, his kiss soft and passionate.

Blake lost any kind of sense of time while she was in his arms. When the thought breaking the kiss crossed through her mind, she suddenly felt breathless. Then came the pain. Golden eyes went wide when she looked down and saw the knife that had stabbed her in the middle of her torso. In a fraction of a second, she could only see Weiss' worried face in front of her.

"Blake, Blake? Please speak to me!" Blake was hyperventilating and sweating. Weiss' was anxious and gave Ruby a worried look as she arrived next to the heiress. 

"Blake?" Silver eyes were aimed at her, full of worry. "You're safe, you're here with us!" She completed grabbing Blake's hand with her own.

"I... I... Was it a dream?" The Faunus' breath accelerated again when a yellow blur dropped from the upper bed. 

"Hey, girl, Ruby's right, you're safe here with us." Yang grabbed Blake and pulled her into a hug.

With that, the scared girl started a ragged cry in Yang's shoulder. As she steady her breath the tears came more continuously. Blake was feeling betrayed, scared and fearful due to what she dreamt. _How could I dream with **him**?_ was one of the few coherent thoughts she could have at that moment.

Both Yang and Ruby were slowly caressing Blake's back in small circles while she cried her anxiety away. Weiss was just sitting in Blake's bed, clenching her fists. 

After some time, the crying turned into sobs and Blake pushed Yang away and setting herself in her bed, taking a deep calming breath after. "What happened? You started to move and make noises in bed and then woke up breathing fast and heavy." Golden eyes met blue ones, trying to put thoughts together.

"Was a terrible nightmare... I was chasing someone in a forest then..." Blake looked down at the place she was stabbed and felt the tears trying to come back. 

"Hey, hey that's fine, you don't need to remember it." Ruby responded putting her hand above the other girl's, Blake pushing it away the moment after.

“I was stabbed.” Ruby and Weiss eyes grew wide with her teammate’s response. “In the dream. I dreamt that a... friend of mine that I was close a while ago stabbed me.” Blake turn her head to her worried teammates trying to push the word _lover_ from her head.

“That’s a hell of a nightmare.” Yang cross her arms in disbelief. “No wonder you are such a mess. How about this? Rubes, why don’t you make some of that tea her mother gave to her? It helps sleep right?” With a nod from Blake to both sisters, Ruby went into the kitchen.

After some minutes of silence and awkward looks between Yang and Weiss, the white haired girl asks concerned. “But Blake...” Blue eyes full of worry met golden ones. “It was just that? I had terrible nightmares before. It really helps to talk with someone about it.” Weiss' thoughts were with her butler Klein right now..

“It was just a friend that I parted ways a while ago.” Blake answered with a tired sigh. “I guess I’m not used to his absence yet.” She says barely audible.

That moment Ruby arrived with four cups of tea and its scent filled the room. Blake spared that tea while in the Fang for worst of times, when she felt alone or was missing her parents badly, so the memory of her mother always popped up with this scent. Ruby and Yang went to sit in Weiss bed as Blake and Weiss stayed in Blake’s.

Another few minutes of silence broken by the sound of sips, Ruby says. “Sooo... Do you think I did it right?” Ruby tried break this silence with something as dull as she could thought of.

“Yes Ruby, thank you.” Blake looked at the leader with a small smile. “Guys... I’m sorry to put you through all of this” She spoke lowly, holding her cup with two hands trying to recollect herself.

“It’s not your fault.” Weiss dryly answered. “You don’t control your feelings.” As Blake, she kept her eyesight deep inside her tea. “No one of us does.”

“I guess you’re right...” Ruby answered sadly. “So what about we forget about this night and sleep?” Ruby says, changing the tone.

Blake did a sarcastic giggle. _She is **really** trying to be a leader._ “I’m feeling better now. It could be a good idea.” 

Weiss stood up taking the empty tea cups from her teammates while Ruby went up to her bed. Yang slowly approached Blake supporting her forehead in the upper bed. Her eyes met Blake’s, silently asking if she really felt better. Blake answered with a nod. Yang than pulled herself up and waited the white haired girl lay herself down in her bed to let out a sigh she didn't knew that she was holding. 

_Maybe they’re good people after all._ Blake though as she focused in the upper bed. Her body felt heavy and she still was able to feel his lips in hers. The Faunus took another deep breath as she released the tension, trying to think of something else then how she felt in Adam’s arms.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! :)
> 
> My absence have a reason: I was trying to sync this chapter with a version of Nevermore that I was recording/mixing. If you want to check it out, here's the link: https://youtu.be/VUGoa6jrVe8
> 
> I will also publish some short stories in my tumblr, you can find it here: https://translucyd.tumblr.com/
> 
> Thank you and hope you like it! :)

# Chapter 4

At that time, her father was speaking in front of many Faunus from Menagerie. The crowd was big enough to Blake barely hear him; even aquatic Faunus were fighting for a place below the deck. She was with her mother, Kali, who stared proudly at her husband. Next to them was also a young Faunus with red hair and a mask, also watching silently.

" _Mom, why do humans don't like us if dad is such an amazing speaker?_ " Young Blake's ears twitched as she spoke.

" _It doesn't have to do with your father._ " The masked person answered. Kali's ears and eyes moved to him.

" _How so?_ " Kali answer with an eyebrow up.

" _Some humans hate us. We did nothing and they still hates us. That's also why I'm wearing this mask._ " The thoughtful child looked at her mother waiting for her to validate the story.

Sighing, Kali kneeled to her size, meeting her daughter's eyes with her own." _Look Blake. Not all humans are evil, but there those who are._ " The mother cupped Blake's face with her hands. " _There's also evil Faunus in this world. But this doesn't change what me or your father are fighting for. We want to you to grow in a world that sees who you are, not what you are._ " Kali boops her daughter nose, making the girl close her eyes and move back slightly in surprise.

" _Adam here is one that didn't have to go through what he did._ " She looks to the masked man. " _I'm happy that he left where he was. It was a place run by one of this evil people; maybe the worst of them all._ "

"SDC." He angrily replied. " _But Blake, that's your name, right? I'm also fighting so **no** Faunus have to go through the same as I did. I'll never rest until there's none of ours under that man's control._" Adam looked again to the girl's father. He was tall and his voice was firm. Blake knew that they were evading the subject of slave in the dust mines run by the Schnee company and the determination of the man awed her. Blake decided at that moment that she would fight until no one was a slave in this world.

* * *

Blake was feeling like shit. That was an understatement, actually. She saw Cardin and her team pull Velvet's ears and she did _nothing_. She could do but probably would had busted her cover. Who stand by Faunus these days beside their own kind? The hairbow girl was clenching her hands into a fist so hard to prevent her to go running towards Velvet that she felt her aura trying to heal the small cut her nails were making. 

The black haired Faunus was looking to her friends and trying to pretend to hear them. "It must be hard to be a Faunus." Yang sadly closed the conversation. _You bet. You have **no** idea._ She completed while holding the angry tears back.

As they were finishing their meals and went towards next class, Blake silently changed paths to where she thought Velvet went. It was hard to smell the scent of anyone in the corridors but she might have an idea where the other Faunus would be. She found Velvet exactly where the she had met her the first time; Blake could hear her sobs even from the other side of the courtyard and each one were like a knife cutting through her heart.

She approached slowly, her ears pinned down as much her bow let them, looking to the other girl until she was certain that Velvet saw her. As her bunny ears went up with worry for a moment, Blake asked silently if she could get near her, only to receive a nod of acceptance.

" _Velvet... I'm... So sorry._ " Blake sat hugging her legs next to Velvet, her voice shaky and tears almost falling from her eyes. " _I wanted to stop him and I cowered..._ " With a raise of hand Velvet stopped the other Faunus.

" _Blake. Don't._ " She wiped her own tears with her sleeve and locked her eyes with gold ones. " _I was not asking for help. I know why you didn't. I... don't blame you._ "

Blake flinched with Velvet's response. " _I cannot hide but I would not do it so. That doesn't mean all Faunus should do as I do. Its my fault._ " Velvet raised her hand again to stop Blake's predicable interruption. " _Not like that. I failed last year Porter's class so I have to do it again. If maybe I did that right, if I passed..._ "

Suddenly Velvet felt arms wrapping around her, followed by wet drops in her shoulder. " _Velvet, stop._ " Blake's voice was shaky and full of worry. " _It's not your fault. It never will be._ " The longed eared Faunus hugs her back, leaning her head side in the other's head. " _Don't be like me, don't run, don't coward. Fight back!_ " Blake tighten the hug as she talks.

" _She won't need to._ " A bossy voice comes from behind Blake.

"Coco!" Velvet responds lowering her upper ears while Blake hid herself in Velvet's hug. " _Blake, its ok, she's from my team. She's my... partner_ ".

"You goddamn sure I am. Velvet, why didn't you told me? Why did you let yourself suffer like that!" Coco had a high pitch voice as if she was scolding Velvet. She wasn't. "By the way, hi Blake, nice to meet you."

Blake's eyes were down, avoiding the stranger.

"Coco, you know why!" Velvet stands and goes to hug her teammate. "You're too important for me... I'm just... I don't want you to get in trouble just because of me."

"C'mon Vel, don't do this to me." Blake saw Coco's face decay in sadness and worry while she held both cheeks of her partner. Her voice was now full of sadness too. "I'm gonna fix this ok?" Coco caressed Velvet's cheeks and hugged her as Velvet nodded and started to cry.

The way Coco hugged Velvet again and her face said it all for Blake. She saw that face in the mirror sometimes in the past. They were more than _partners_. The last time she saw a human and a Faunus exchange such love and care was... she couldn't remember when. Somewhere in Menagerie in her infancy maybe. She saw Coco's face of protectiveness and pure love while hugging the other girl and that made her insides twist. As if this situation was something forbidden, something utterly wrong, against the very foundation of her beliefs. Of her previous beliefs. 

With a last squeeze, Coco held Velvet shoulders gave her a chaste kiss. She let go of Velvet and moved closer to Blake. "Hey. She told me about you. Don't worry, she didn't gave any description of who you were but... lets say, its kinda obvious." Coco's index finger pointed to a fictitious bow in her head. 

Blake looked scared for a moment. _Does she know the bow? She spoke to us in Faunese, how can... did Velvet taught her?_

Velvet, noticing Blake's internal struggle, stepped up. "Blake, don't worry. I trust her with my life. You can as well" She met her eyes with Coco, looking determined.

"Look, girl." Coco fixes her sunglasses position with one of her fingers. "I'm from Atlas. They taught me all lines in Atlas Military Bulletin of how to uncover Faunus. Good I didn't bought into that crap." Coco gives a small smile towards Velvet. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. But bow to cover ears its one of the oldest in the book, c'mon."

After cover her mouth with her hand and giving a small giggle, Blake answered, hugging herself in the torso and her ears pinned a little inside her bow. "You're right. It was the best I could muster at the time. Hi Coco. I'm Blake Belladonna. Do you speak Faunese?" 

"I'm Coco Adel. Nice to meet you, Blake Belladonna." Coco stands her hand receiving a shy handshake. "I know a bit. I can follow some conversations but not all."

"I'm teaching her." Velvet responds proudly.

Hugging Velvet by the side with one hand, Coco continues. "Hey Blake. Vel told me a bit about your fears. I can't say you're not going to find bullies here but I can say that **if** anyone wants to mess with you, Velvet or any Faunus here, they will have to go through **me** first " Coco's thumb points to herself confidently. "You just, you know, have to say something." She looks at Velvet, making her face twist a bit and her ears go downwards. "If you don't, I'll be **very** angry when I found out, be cause trust me, I will." She lowers her sunglasses a bit with her hand and blinks at the new met Faunus.

"Thank you, Coco." Blake sighted with her mind's reminder of Velvet's struggles earlier on lunch. "I'm sorry I didn't..."

"Don't." Coco pointing finger rise asking for silence. "Don't you dare. Safety first. I'm a human from a very fortunate family in terms of money. I have _nothing_ to lose. You two have a lot." Both Faunus hug their respective elbows and drifted their eyes in response.

"Are you ok to go, Vel?" With a nod from Velvet, Coco waves. "So we're going, I have a business to attend." Blake shyly waves back. "By the way. Nice outfit, kid." Coco completes leaving the place hugging Velvet by the shoulders and whispering something Blake couldn't hear. 

* * *

At dinner that night once again both team RWBY and JNPR sat together to eat, half tired from classes, half exhausted and Jaune. 

"C'mon Jaune, you need to eat something before bed!" Pyrrah puts two trays with a lot of food in them at the table. Following her a blonde boy with several scratches and bruises showing in his arms. "Remember what I told you? You need energy to let your aura heal your body. Do you remember how to turn it on?"

"Yes Pyrrah. I do. But I'm too tired and in pain to do it now." A dispirited Jaune responds.

"Pyrrah, let him be. He will be fine by the morning." Ren says emotionless "But you must eat, Jaune, follow your teammate's example." He points to the hammer user in his right, devouring her food.

"Fine..." Jaune sighs.

"By the way." Yang cuts the conversation bringing the attention to her. "You got late today in class, didn't you Blake? Were you all right?"

Blake was in the middle of a bite of her new-discovered tuna hamburger. She was lost in the marvellous taste of fish with hints of mayonnaise. With all eyes looking at her, she blushed hard and tried to chew her food the fastest she could manage. "I... Yesh, I..." She finally was able to swallow it all. "I went to talk with that girl from the lunch, the one who was being bullied today. I... It was so unfair..."

"Oh, I didn't knew. Do you know her from somewhere else?" Ruby asks.

"We met in the morning of our first day here, before Ospin threw us in the woods." She waited for the giggles and a tired _awnn_ from Jaune. "But we're not close, it just a coincidence." Blake takes her hamburger to take another bite.

"Was she ok?" Yang asks worried.

"She... Not really." Blake stare her food remembering earlier. "A teammate found us just after I got to her. She then could give more support then I could."

"You know?" Weiss puts her cutlery cautiously in her dish. "I don't get how can people can be such jerks. Faunus or not, one should have a calm stay in this school. That kind of attitude from that guy earlier was unacceptable!" Her voice pitch rises. "Why don't she ask from help from the teachers?" Blake looked to the heiress a bit amazed. She didn't think a Schnee could be so... understanding?

"Some people just have too much too lose." Pyrrah says sadly. "Back in Argus we had a bunch of problems with Human-Faunus relations. It always ended up in fights and a lot shouting."

By the time Weiss had returned to the food, the conversations had died down. Blake was feeling a myriad of things at the same time. She remembered Coco's promise, holding onto that to be able to keep eating and not give up to despair and sadness she felt.

"You know what?" Weiss stood up hitting the table weakly. "Today was cringe. I think we all need some milkshake. I pay... this time." Happy eyes, especially silver ones, looked revigorated to the heiress. She was satisfied with the feeling that she could change the mood a bit using something that she had plenty. In this case, money.

After she wrote up all the requests, Weiss went to the casher's line. Blake stared at her a little puzzled. She was... nice. Not the aristocratic, unbearable brat she was expecting. She usually was easy and quick to anger and Ruby definitely didn't respect her personal space, but, by all means, she was tolerable. Not that the Faunus girl was swimming in friendships, but those who ate with her everyday at least made her forget her past for a while.

"Lost something there, pretty girl?" Breaking her train of thought, Blake moved towards the sound, just to find Yang with a large grin, typical from when she was provoking someone.

"I can't stare blankly at nothing anymore?" Blake huffed looking to her side and blushing a bit.

"A nothing that wears a very expensive white dress? I was almost jealous." Yang crossed her arms, the grin getting bigger. One could hear a low _battle skirt!_ from Ruby.

"C'mon Yang, you know I don't like that." Blake answered biting the bait. She would not fall for a _Schnee_ , please.

"Oh!" Yang dramatizes putting her hand in her forehead. "So you're not into girls?"

"That's not what I..." Blake puts both hands in her mouth to silence herself. Everyone hearing the conversation blushed hard. Yang's eyes shot wide when she heard the half answer and looked shocked to her teammate. Yang didn't expect such a direct hit. She saw Blake's red face trying to hide from the looks she was receiving. Blake blamed herself, for giving herself away so easily, Ruby looked awkwardly because she never even thought that her sister could be anything but her never-had-any-kind-of-loving-relationship sister and Nora didn't blush, but shot her eyes as wide as the grin in her face, typical from when she is preparing to mock someone. 

Blake, not knowing how to deal with the situation, not being able to look again in any of her friends face and almost feeling the shout that would certainly come from Nora, she stood up with her tray in hands quickly muttering. "SORRYIWILLGOTOTHEBATHROOMMEETYOUGUYSATTHEDORMBYE."


	5. Chapter 5

"Next, Mrs. Xiao Long and Mrs. Nikos." Glinda shouted from the stage calling the next students to the battle court. "I must remember you both that semblances are allowed but you should not battle _only_ using them. This is for you both." The professor gave a cold stare to the approaching students, and Yang felt it running down her spine.

As both combatants took position and the teacher left the designed are, all students are now focusing at was one of the best fights of the day. Pyrrah was... well, Pyrrah. Her reputation preceded her as an excellent fighter and top of the class. Yang was brutal, punched without thinking sometimes, but nevertheless had a good training in Signal, also being one of the top students in Goodwitch's class.

As the _Begin!_ echoed through the hall, Yang shot Ember Celica towards her back to gain momentum to hit her adversary. Pyrrah blocked the powerful punch with her shield and, using part of the momentum Yang had, moved her sword towards Yang's side, who blocked with her gauntlets.

Seeing both her teammates utterly entertained, Ruby with the usual excitement and Weiss with a clinical look, Blake focused in her partner. Pyrrah was obviously superior regarding skill, but Yang had her Semblance in her favour. She took some hits to charge it and then used it to take Pyrrah's shield out of her hand, hitting her again in the torso after that. 

Pyrrah didn't flinched and quickly got her shield back using it as an boomerang at Yang's grinning face, drawing giggles from some students. Blake sighted to her partner's overconfidence, feeling sorry with the audible 'Ouch' Yang let out after stopping into the ground. She was dumb, funny and took her fights too seriously, even if we are talking of who gets first in the shower. Ears flickered as Yang stood and threw back her hair. That's something you couldn't miss about her, the gold hair. Blake even compared it with her own eyes sometimes, although her partner's hair was much more bright and shone wherever the sun hit it.

Her smell also wasn't so bad. She did thought that she was a little less tidy for what she was taught that a girl should be but Yang did started to take care of her things more after a shout or two or dozen from Weiss. Yang's smell gave her a feeling of... a certain kind of hope and safety. Somehow her day always got better when she was around. Even in those days she reserved herself to her books, Yang managed to get to her feet and go to the cafeteria with her team to a dinner. A tea should be ok but she stuffed with her own food if Blake didn't order anything.

Blake just had noticed in her scroll that Yang's aura depleted fast due to her overuse of her Semblance when the Professor halted the fight. She usually didn't say who had won or gave any indication to her students of it, but it was clear that Pyrrah was much less tired and in better shape after this brawl. Glinda again drew attention to the blonde's Semblance overuse before calling another pair of students.

"You were amaziiiing." Ruby squeak in high pitch, trying to hold her awe. "You did took some punches in places, though."

"Yeah, kinda hurts." Yang put one of her hands in the back of her head and the other in Ruby's hair. "But I'll be better in no time, sis, don't worry." Yang moved towards Weiss and Blake. 

"You should take more care. Your overuse of your Semblance was pointed out in last week's review!" Weiss said in her authoritarian high pitched voice, receiving some sorries from the blonde.

As Yang sat, she looked towards Blake, which received her with a smile. "I think you went great. Weiss is right, but Pyrrah is an outstanding opponent." Amber eyes drifted to the stage after meeting for a while with purple ones. "I think we should train more times with her."

"Thank you, Partner." Yang blew out a tired sigh. "You have a good eye for those things. Did you got that from your parents?"

Blake flinched a little, forcing herself to remember a part of her life that was better forgotten. "No... I had a lot of training with some friends. I didn't lived in a big city, but we tried to help each other out."

Yang answered Blake with a smile so bright that made her blush. "Nah, don't worry 'bout that. You're such a great fighter and formal training doesn't mean anything if you don't how to use it." Yang gave her usual wink.

"T-thank you." She shyly responded turning to see Jaune being overthrown by Cardin's attacks. She tried to focus on the fight, only succeeding after Yang left the room to cool down.

* * *

Blake was in the middle of a crowd with her parents at her both sides. She wore a green tunic, similar to a bathrobe, but made of silk and tied together with a silver belt, also made of silk. It was a gift from her last birthday, the 15th one. Kali insisted not only that the tunic was made of the most expensive silk she could find in Menagerie, she also made sure her daughter wore it at important days. 

Today was one of those. In the latest clash between SDC and White Fang forces, three elite Faunus were captured but more than a hundred were saved from forced labour in a mine. They were there to celebrate once more this hard accomplishment the Fang did, some survivors being free for the first time in their whole lives. Every mission they went to rescue slaves was a shot in the dark, in some ways. They usually succeeded but sometimes intel was outdated and the SDC had more guards there than expected. This time they arrived the exact time the Fang was clearing the place.

Blake was more or less aware of the hardships that those who fought for the freedom of the Faunus race. She knew what her parents told her and what she red in the news or history books. But there is some things that, only those who go through it, knows the hardship. The general public wasn't ready to know how many died. How many the White Fang killed to save those Faunus. 

" _*I'm Sienna Khan, a loyal advocate for the White Fang..._ " Agglomerations were never Blake's forte, she knew that. She was in front of her parents to shield herself from the majority of the people around her. As Sienna told the public about what happened in the raid, Blake noticed two Fauni next to her. A woman she couldn't see where was her non-human parts, if she had any, and a tall man wearing a Grim-looking mask. 

Blake lost the contact with the outside world for a moment while she studied the features of this man, a bull Faunus as far as she could see. He seemed... familiar somehow. She as blatantly staring at him when, noticing the curious girl, Adam turn his head towards her just to Blake pin her ears as low as she could while a cold went down her spine. She immediately turned to her mom. " _Mom, I don't feel so good, Can I go back home_?"

" _Blake...?_ " Kali responded confused.

" _Please, its just a few blocks..._ "

At that very moment, Sienna call both Ghira and Kali to the stage so they can comment about the topic. Blake's insides turn a bit when she realized that she would have to leave that place by herself.

Breathing deeply, she left her parents' side towards the less clustered part of the rally when she almost immediately see, crouched and with the mask in his hand, that same man that had frightened her. His time, however, she could hear him cry. It was quiet, comparing with her father's voice and the crowd's murmur but, as she approached silently, it got clear that cursed as well. He was angry.

Swiftly, she arrived next Adam and tried to make herself noted. " _Hello..._ " Suddenly, in a reflex, the man punched the wall in front of him, his eyes sore from crying meeting scared amber eyes. Or that was what he had thought.

" _You... You saw_..." Adam quickly put his mask again in his face. He turns to the girl again, this time with his right hand holding his sword. " _You can't... Don't you dare tell anyone!_ " He finishes with an authoritarian and angry tone.

" _I won't_." Somehow, she didn't felt scared this time. The moment she saw his eyes, one blue, one greyish due to his wound, she knew that something has changed inside her. She didn't flinch, didn't run, wasn't scared, didn't took her eyes off him. She felt that she knew that man, knew his struggles and his fears just by looking deeply at his soul's portal. " _The three Faunus who were captured in Vale... they were your **friends** weren't they? I'm sorry._" Blake says, her upper ears pinning in sadness.

Adam stayed a long time in silence. He now look directly into her eyes. Innocent and not fearful, as he expected, but full of determination. The face was also from someone he knew.

" _You're Ghira Belladonna's daughter. Out alone in the streets. At night._ " His words were dry and precise.

"Our house is close." Blake responded softly, still didn't taking her eyes from him.

" _Still. So late at night. Let me... Let me walk with you. You never know what kind of monsters are out in the dark._ " He started walking towards her house as he finished.

"Okay..." As he broke the eye contact, Blake was smashed again into reality. Who was him? Who was this man with such sad and tormented eyes. What in heavens he gone through so his soul was like that? This questions were filling up her mind while they walked back her house. He didn't said a word. He just walked in her side, posture tall and almost military.

As they arrived in front of the Belladonna's residence, both took this last opportunity to silently talk through their eyes. His were cover by the mask, which blocked Blake to see them directly, but nonetheless she could feel them looking into her own. In the other side, he was inside that sea of gold and amber. An ambitious girl, born into the very own house that created the Fang, imagine what this determination could do, what things she could achieve, he thought. Being finished his travel through her golden soul, he nods and turns to the other side, saying quietly, but sure that she would hear him. "I hope we meet again soon, Blake."

* * *

Yang was holding a beewolf by its belly when a pistol coupled with a sword and attached to a black ribbon cut it in half, making the beast disappear. A woman wearing black and white with a hairbow, painting due to exertion, approaches the blonde with a tired smile. "Do you think this is the last one?"

"I hope so." Yang breathed heavily, sitting leaning her back into a tree for rest. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Blake answers sitting next to her, also using the tree for support. "Don't you think that Goodwitch is a little..."

"A little bit crazy to throw us into the woods with a lot of grim? Of course!" Yang interrupts her partner throwing her hands into the air. "But the principal threw us here in the first day, so what else should we expect from her?"

Blake giggled with her hand in front of her mouth, making the blonde grin with the successful joke. The Faunus tilted herself to find support in Yang's shoulder with her own, receiving in return her partner's head side in her own. The sound of the forest started to overwhelm their silence after the breathing of both huntresses came back to normal. 

It was weird how her life has changed in these few months. Things looked simple with her team. Weiss was, well, Weiss. She was always bossing around when she was in a bad mood, almost all the time due to Ruby's unwillingness to wake up or study a little bit more. Ruby was definitely giving her best. She jumped almost two years in school and didn't had the first hand experience that Blake had and also was given the title of leader of the other three. You could see Yang's pride in her eyes when she saw how much her little sister has grown.

Yang was... Sleeping in her side apparently. She could feel her heavy and steady breathing, with hints of snoring. Blake giggled one more time. It was funny how much Yang trusted her, how she was now one of her best friends. Besides Illia she never was close with anyone besides her parents... or Adam. She took a deep breath.

Smelling the forest and Yang's scent, she remembered the last time she had to be in such a place. Was the last day she saw him, the day she left. She was happy to have amazing friends, amazing food (talkin' bout that tuna sandwich) and amazing teachers. She didn't had to be aware all the time due to grim or humans trying to attack her. Besides, of course, in this kind of lesson. Even nightmares like the ones she had in the first week of her stay at Beacon quickly started to disappear. She only hoped Adam could understand how different life was here; how the things he's being doing only hurt the Faunus.

The wind blew very gently and her nose and ears could pickup the information about an approaching duo. A very familiar one. 

"I don't believe she sleeping in the middle of the mission!" The high pitch voice of an outraged Weiss reached her ear.

"Weiss, she punches stuff, she's always have a hard time than we do." Ruby says in a more silent voice, indirectly asking Weiss to calm down.

Blake turned her head a bit, moving her mouth closer to her partners ear. "Yang? Our team is here." The Faunus says softly.

Although Yang didn't woke up in the first try, soon she was stretching her thankful body for these few minutes of rest."Hey Rubes, Weiss. Did you also finished the task?"

"Yes!" Ruby thumbed up the two below her while Weiss rolled her eyes.

As the other duo stood up and Yang started to talk about the mission to her sister as they walked back, Weiss was still puffing a little. Blake than tried to break the ice, pun intended.

"Hey Weiss, is everything ok?" 

"Yeah. its just my old habits trying to tell me how wrong is to sleep on the mission. She was with you and if she needed rest, who am I to judge. I want to, though."

The black haired girl giggled. "We're all tired from waking up early. She's not the only one who wants a nap." Blake stretched her arms and ears as she talked. "Yang have this habit of throwing herself into the grim to tank everything. I'm trying to teach her some stealth, but its kinda hard." This time was the heiress who laughed. 

* * *

"Sooooo... Whatcha reading?" That were the words Blake heard before a mass of blonde hair pushed her to the side of the bed. Yang never was a person that cared for other people's personal space but, now that she and Blake were closer, touches were much more frequent. Blake was under her blankets so Yang made herself comfortable on the left half of the Faunus bed while Blake was only entitled to the other half.

"It's a fairy tale." Blake says painfully aware of both thighs touching. "It's called the Beauty and the Beast, did you heard of it?" The Faunus hold the book in the middle so her teammate could see a picture in the beginning of the book.

"I never heard of it." Yang holds half of the book with one hand. "What is the catch?"

Blake giggles, continuing. "The 'story' is tale about a woman, who love books and reading in general, and a man who was cursed by a witch and became a beast. He must find true love before a Magic Rose lose all the petals." Ruby asks _What?_ , later realizing that no one called her. "Her father was arrested by the Beast and the woman exchange herself so her dad can be free." She notes her partner staring firmly at her and stops explaining, ears flickering a bit inside the bow. "What?"

"Girl who loves books?" Yang grins, narrowing her eyelids a bit and rising one eyebrow.

"Yes, what's wrong?" Blake answer confused.

"Nothing. Please continue." Yang keeps the smile as a confused Blake start over.

"So far I only read until she got into the castle. Looks the Beast has a good heart but he's afraid that she will not like him because of how he looks." Blake sighs heavily. "This one is one of the old versions, more close to the original folktale. Maybe you have heard or saw a version that the beast is a Faunus." She closes the book, putting it in her lap. 

"Ouch. Kinda racist." Yang's smile disappears when Blake finishes. "Why does everyone must describe Faunus as monsters, beasts and things like that?"

Blake's four ears jump up with the blonde's remark. She also feels her heart punching her chest due to the adrenalin that such a topic gives her. "Do you think that? Most people don't even realise the meaning. But, to be honest, most of the fairy tales are pretty dark or full of stereotypes. Like the original Little Red Riding Hood, where the girl only dies by the Beowolf. I suppose it was to teach kids not to wander the woods alone."

"She could have a huge scythe with a gun, am I right, sis?" Yang turns towards Ruby, receiving another confused look, but now from her sister. "Nah, she wasn't hearing." Yang finishes disappointed.

Blake laughs shyly with her hand at her mouth. "Only you to be so quick with words, Yang. **Xiao Long** I'll take to learn such a power?"

Yang facepalms herself. "Oh no! I've created a rival. C'mon, this was one of the oldest **in the book** " She look to Blake through her fingers laughing a bit.

"I don't know, it must be. **OtherWeiss** it should be written." Blake responds also with a grin.

"God. Are you **Schneeting** me?"

"Could be that you're **Yangry**?"

" **STOP** " Weiss shouts, hitting the desk she's studying. "PLEASE STOP. I CANT TAKE THIS ANYMORE." 

Her three teammates gaze turned towards Weiss with looks of shock in a awkward silence. Weiss immediately flinch, throwing her hands in the air. "Sorry, I didn't..." only to be interrupted by a burst of laugh from all her friends, herself joining them after a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... We're arriving at the end of this act with the next chapter. From here, I will diverge from the canon a bit. Not too much, I promise, my idea is to follow the arcs of characters. Also I will focus now in other characters as well; only see Blake's side of the V1 was the idea.
> 
> To finish: My first idea was to start this fic with the next chapter, but in the end I used this first chapters to learn and improve my writing. I'll also review this act after posting the last chapter to check for errors.
> 
> Hope see you all soon :)


	6. Chapter 6

“What do you mean by drinking party?” Blake asked Yang with her ears twitching inside the bow.

“That’s just it. Some quality time with some friends but with some alcohol. We’re all 18 so it’s not like will be a problem.” Yang said doing smug pose. Turning to Ruby with half closed menacing eyes, she continues. “But not you sis. You’re 16. If you want to go you have to promise me to stay within soda territory.”

“Promise! I don’t get why people drink such a terrible stuff.” Ruby shrugged while finishing her homework. “I’m one with cookies and they’re one with me.”

Weiss and Blake rolled eyes thinking in the super energetic state the leader with sugar rush. "We must limit her coffee as well" Weiss thought annoyed. “I don’t drink. My mother drinks and I'm not sure how I feel about it.” The heiress said in a dismissing way.

“Weiss, alcohol it’s something you use to oil the gears of friendship, not to drink in a lonely cold room by yourself.” Yang responded. “Everything should be done in moderation, even coffee.” She giggles as she hear the foreseeable _hey_ coming from the heiress.

Yang was somewhat right. Although her mother was not close with her, hell would brake loose if her father knew half of the challenges they faced everyday at the academy. Killing Grim in a muddy area while raining, getting mud in places that you never knew about? What about gym weight lifting? No chance. Not for a Schnee girl he would said.

“I still not sure” Weiss say looking to Blake as she process the information.

“Let’s do it like this:” Yang says while rubbing her two hands. “Neither me or team JNPR are jerks. We would never pressure someone to do things they don’t want. If you feel comfortable, you can taste it and if you don’t like it just stay with Ruby.” Yang blinked to Weiss, making the heiress turn red.

* * *

The party was booked for a Friday after dinner. It was supposed to be something simple, no special clothes or makeup, just what Yang said: friends having a good time. Yang and Nora were the ones that brought three bottles of cheap sweet wine; that was enough to get them to drink some but not to get completely wasted. The reunion was in JNPR's room, with Ruby and Weiss seated the study desk, Blake in a stool with her back towards the entrance, Yang standing next to her, Nora and Ren in the upper bed after some complaints about _how alone she was up there_ and finally Pyrrha and Jaune standing in the back of the room, the last one telling a funny story about her sisters.

"So my parents had this huge car." Jaune continues as he portray the size with his hands. "Seven seats without counting the three in the front. I think you can imagine who was the one that always went _with mama and papa_ " He say the last words in a mocking way.

Blake laughed softly as hiding her mouth and nose behind her cup, the second of the night. She was feeling tipsy, usually at the Fang she'd have a bit more, due to the lack of parents and mostly other kinds of entertainment, but she was sober enough to stay silent and keep others focused in someone else. As she takes another sip, golden eyes move towards the blonde girl close to her. Her golden curls were close enough that she could smell her now too-faint-for-humans shampoo. 

Blake closes her eyes just to focus in the scents in the room. Besides the obvious one coming from the cheap wine, she almost could smell the happiness emanating from what were the most important people for her in the world right now: Yang, Weiss and Ruby. Yang's shampoo mixed with her natural hair scent was the one she was focusing on and the Faunus was _totally_ using this opportunity to try to stamp in her brain that smell. 

Not that Faunus had superpowers; they just had more accurate senses depending of your traits. Blake's was smell and, obviously, hearing; having four ears tend to make you hear very well. And some sort of night vision, since humans had really bad sight with low light. After wandering inside her head for some time, she comes back to reality with a burst of laugh of all her friends by something Jaune said that she didn't hear. 

"Have you guys hard about the last dust robbery? The one last week?" Ren takes the lead while Jaune went to get some water. "They said that the White Fang was behind it." He finishes without noticing a fast twitch inside a hairbow.

"It would be AMAAAZING if we were there and kicked the butts of those burglars." Nora shouted while hitting invisible enemies punches.

While Nora was fighting and Yang encouraging it, a Faunus in the room was in distress. _Its ok Blake, they don't know about you. Everything will be-_

"Would be _amazing_ if they stopped robbing my family's company shipment." Weiss cluelessly interrupted Blake's thoughts. "They want to be treated equally as humans but how can we when hey act like barely intelligent animals?"

Everyone froze. All eyes were on Weiss but one was not just shocked, but mixed with anger. "What you just said?" A very angry Faunus in the room spoke slowly to the clueless heiress.

"What?? Don't you guys know that the White Fang were stealing and destroying not only assets from my family's company but from Atlas as well!" Weiss completes in a very high pitch voice.

"Yeah Weiss... but that was kinda..." A soft voice from RWBY's leader broke the silence while she looked at the ground and caressing her elbow with her hand.

"Racist??" Blake says standing up with a shaky voice.

"Guys, I understand that you have sympathy for such **criminals** but you have to see our side as well." Weiss says confused. 

"And what would it be?" Blake speaks through her grinding teeth, looking to Weiss with very angry half closed eyes.

"We lose money. With that we cannot hire more people and..."

"TO WORK IN MINES WITHOUT ANY REST?" The Faunus shouts drawing the eyes in the room to her. Her ears twitched fast inside her bow. At this point Yang was reaching Blake with a hand trying to calm her down.

"Blake! What's wrong with you? Do you think I'll let you talk about **my family's company** like that?" Weiss says annoyed while standing and leaving her cup in the desk.

And there it was. The Weiss Schnee that she thought she would meet, hidden inside a barrier of politeness. _Just a few drops were enough break her shell._ She was ready for this moment. She lived months with a wolf just waiting to bite her. She trusted Weiss. Blake had put her trust in someone that didn’t deserve it; she would not make the same mistake again. She must solve this now. 

Blake drank all the remaining liquid in her plastic red cup in one shot, throwing it to the side, and turned to Weiss pointing aggressively. Ruby was beginning to move towards Weiss when Blake interrupted her shy 'hey guys' with another shout. "You. Me. Outside. Take your gear." The Faunus says and storms out the the room.

Reactions were mixed. When Nora heard the implicit 'Lets fight' she grinned. Yang leaved the room to try to reach Blake while Ruby tried to calm down Weiss. Jaune and Pyrrha were shocked looking puzzled to each other. After Weiss left the room with a worried Ruby in her tail, Nora shouted "FIIIGHT" and left running towards the stairs to be the audience. 

As Blake arrived outside, she drew Gambol Shroud in the most noisy way that she could. Yang arrived just at time to see Blake wearing a face that she never saw. It was... murderous. Golden eyes were filled with something the blond couldn’t understand. Blake looked and _felt_ like a different person. She approached slowly while her purple eyes betrayed the fear she was trying to hide.

"Blake... What's going on?" The blonde says softly. "I get that you're upset but..."

"Yang. I'll not allow her to talk like that about us. Not when it's her father's fault. Her _family's_ fault. Not on my watch." Without realising what she just said, Blake followed her now present adversary with her eyes, not noticing the wide and shocked purple one aiming at her. 

"Blake, I don't get why you're doing this." Weiss says while putting herself in attack position. "I don't get why you're so angry. But I'm ready to defend my family at all time."

Yang ran towards Ruby, taking the girl away from Weiss, despite her protests. Ruby would absolutely put herself in the middle of this. When Yang was in safe distance and Ruby was stopping to struggle she heard the first clash of metal. Yang was scared. And it’s not what she liked to feel. The blonde got her sister cheeks in her hands to focus the girl in herself only.

"Blake is a Faunus." A worried look was what Ruby saw in her sister's face.

"What??" 

"Look at me. We need to stop them." Yang's final word was muffled with the sound of steel. "Blake just slipped up to me: She's a Faunus."

When Ruby heard, her face turn to pure concern. "We... I... How many cups she had?"

"I'm not sure, but we must them, NOW."

When sisters turned to the action they saw an aggressive fight. Blake was fiercely attacking Weiss, using Gambol Shroud's both blades. As the battle went on, Weiss was starting to counterattack better; the Faunus’ hits were sloppier than usual. Still accurate, but sloppy. 

"What do we do?" Ruby asks her sister, worried.

"You stop Weiss, I'll stop Blake." Yang gave a nod to her sister and waited for an opening. As Weiss pushed Blake farther, both run towards the middle. "STOP! What you two are doing? Get this over now!" Yang shouts and turns towards her partner. "Please, Blake. Stop this."

The Faunus answers gasping for air. "You don't get this Yang. Step aside, this is bigger than you can ever imagine."

"You're right, I don't. But please, let’s talk this through. You're better than this, I know!" Yang opened her arms, walking slowly towards Blake. 

It was too fast. Too quick to Yang even understand what was happening until she turn around. Blake narrowed her eyes and pushed herself towards Yang, hitting her partner with a shadow clone while she appeared on the other side. Exactly where Weiss was wielding Myrtenaster. 

Yang only saw Weiss' sword when it had already pierced her friend's bow. Blood started to fall from the rapier and she could see the heiress utterly shocked face. The next second she heard Blake's scream and everything went black for her.

* * *

While the sword was reaching her bow, time stopped for Blake. She saw Weiss' perfectly focused face. She saw the worried face of Ruby besides her. She saw the mess that she had made. Then the pain came. Her left top ear ached immensely and her eyes widened in reflex as she saw the white-haired girl's face change from a plain look to a horrified form. The last thing she heard was her own scream before everything fade out in darkness.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit cliche with soap opera feelings but I could not though of a better way to describe someone piercing Blake's bow as the revelation of her state of a Faunus.
> 
> With this chapter, we finish act one, starting the second one: Faunus.
> 
> Hope you're liking so far :) Things will get more happy and fluffy, I promise.


End file.
